Skirt and waist supporter.



Patented May 6, I902.

J. MCDONALD.

SKIRT AND WAIST SUPPORTER.

(Application filed Oct. 10, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. MCDONALD, OF DAVENPORT, IOXVA.

SKIRT AND WAIST SUPPORTER."

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 699,339, dated May 6, 1902. Application filed October 10,1901. Serial No. 78,259. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. MCDONALD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Dav:

enport, in the county of Scott-and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Skirt and \Vaist Supporter, of which the following sitions, a further object being to provide a device which may be made and sold as an arti: cle of manufacture and readily attached to the garments without anynecessity for alteration in the construction of either garment, as more fully described hereinafter,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear View of a portion of askirt and waist, illustratinga garment-supporting device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of the waist,illustrating the construction of the member of the fastener to beatt-achedtheret-o. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the belt adapted to be passed around the waist ofthe wearer.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of the skirt looking from the inside of the same. Fig.5 is a transverse sectional elevation, onan ex aggerated scale, illustrating the position as-. j

sumed by the parts when connected. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modification more particularly referred tohereinafter.

The waist 1 maybe of any size orstyle and,

made in any desired manner or of any suitable material. To the rear portion of this garment is secured a strip of reinforcing material 2, made of some strong textile fabric, the upper edge only being secured, as at 3, by stitching or otherwise to thegarment. This reinforcing-strip is provided with large metallic eyelets 4, arranged one on each side of the center of the strip. This reinforcingstrip, however, need not necessarily be in one piece or made of some textile fabric. It can be made of some other material or of sheet metal, with holes out to act as a substitute for themet-al eyelets 4;. nor is it necessary. that the stripshould be in one piece. I It may be in two pieces,each pieceindependent of the ;uther, oneon the .left side and the other on the. right side of waist, the two pieces to be theproperdistance apart and attached to the waist by stitching or otherwise at the upper edges only. In FigpG I have illustrated a modified construction of reinforcing-strips,in which small metallic plates 2 are employed, one plate being placed on each side of the center of the back of the waist and secured thereto by integral prongs 3 or by stitching or otherwise.

The belt portion 5 of the fastening is formed of any suitable material andat one end is ,providedwith a buckle 6, or any other suitablemeans may be employed for securing it at the-front of thewaist. The belt is provided with two stud members 7 of any ordinarycharacter, which when the belt is placed under the flap 2 will project through the eyelets 4, considerable play in both lateral and zverticaldirections being permitted, owing to the diflerence in size of the stud members and the eyelets; but the stud members and the eyelets may be of the same size, if desired, when of course there will be no play.

The belt5, passing as it does around the outside of the waist, serves to confine the latter closely to the body and holds thelower portion of .the garment securely in placea desirable feature where a loosefront waist is TQ Ii A The skirt 8 may be of any ordinarymate- Irial and provided with the usual waistband 9. To the waistband v 9 on each side ofgthe placket-opening, or to the skirt itself if it is desired to' set the female members 10 low down, are secured the female membersldof the fastening, each of such members comprising a socket-piece 11 for the reception of the stud member 7 and an attaching-plate12 of a length greater than the diameter of the eyelets 4, although this attachingplate may be of the same length asor ashorter length than the diameter of theeyelets 4. Each plate 12 is provided with a number of, openings 13 to permit its being secured bystitching or otherwise to the waistband of skirt or to the skirt itself when it is desired to set the female members 10 low down, this construc- I bers.

out bringing its Weight tion permitting of the securing of the female members in place without exposing the head of-the members on the exterior of the garment.

In applying the article, the reinforcing-flap 2 having been secured to the waist, the belt 5 is placed under the same with the stud members projecting through the metallic eyelets. The ends of the waistband of the skirt or the ends of the skirt itself are then secured to the belt atthe back of the body by snapping the female members 10 on the stud mem- The placketopening may then be closed by a suitable hook and eye or other device. I

- The metal plates 12 beingof agreaterle'ngth than the diameter of the metallic eyelets, the ends of the plate will be prevented from being caught by the eyelets, and any slight adjustment necessary to bring either the skirt or the waist to central positions will'be permitted. At the same time the back of the waist will be held securely in place and the skirt will be supported from the belt without exercising any strain on the material of the waist, the width of the eyelets permitting of slight downward movement of the skirt withto bear onthe upper garment.

In some cases the strip 2, of reinforcing material, may be replaced by small metallic plates 2, having spurs 3 for securing the same in position on the shirt-waist, the plates being provided with suitable openings as a substitute for the eyelets 4. This construction is-clearly illustrated in Fig. 6.

Although the structure herein described and illustrated is that of the preferred form, it is obvious that changes in the form, proportions, and size may be resorted'to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A supporting device for connecting and supporting garments, comprising a body-encircling belt, a ball-and-socket fastening having one of its members secured to said belt and the opposite member secured to one garment, and an eyelet-carrying flap secured at its upper edge only to the opposite garment and situated between the members of the ball-and-socket fastening.

- 2. A supporting device for an upper and a lower garment comprising a flap secured to the upper garment and having one or more eyelets, a body-encircling belt adapted to pass between the flap and the upper garment and-carrying one member of a ball-and-socket fastening, the opposite member ofsaid fastening being secured to the lower garment, substantially as specified.

3. A supporting device for an upper and a lower garment comprising a flap secured at its upper edge to the rear of the upper garment and provided on opposite sides of the center, with metallic eyelets, a body-encir' cling belt adapted to pass under said flap on the exterior of the upper garment and provided at its ends with securing devices, studattaching members secured to said belt in alinement with the metallic eyelets, and socket members adapted for attachment to the lower garment and adapted for engagement with said stud members.

at. A supporting device for an upper and a lower garment comprising a flap secured at its upper edge to the rear of the upper garment and provided on opposite sides of the center with enlarged metallic eyelets, a bodyencircling belt, adapted to pass under said flap on the exterior of the upper garment and provided at its ends with securing devices,

vencircling belt adapted to pass under said flap on the exterior of the upper garment, stud-attaching members secured to said belt in alinement with the metallic-eyelets and of a diameter considerably less than that of said eyelets to permit lateral adjustment of the garments, and socket members having attaching-plates of a length greater than the diameter of the eyelets and adapted to be secured to the inner portion of the waistband of the lower garment.

(5. In combination, a waist having an eyelet member secured at its upper end only to the waist, a belt adapted to encircle the waist of the wearer, said belt passing under said eyelet member, a. member of a ball-andsocket fastener carried by the belt in alinement with the eyelet, and a skirt having a mating ball-and-socke t member adapted to engage with the member carried by the belt.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. MCDONALD.

Witnesses:

ALBERT J. NOTH, Jos. L. PAHL.

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